We had such gorgeous weather over the weekend. In the midst of home improvement projects and chaos all over the place, I found myself literally reaching my limits of how much mess I could handle around our house. I started getting snappy at Jeff and Bracken, resenting any messes they were making that I felt I needed to clean up, even though Jeff was working toward the same goal I was and had been up early working on projects to get things finished up. I realized it wasn’t a very kind way to be treating my loves on Valentine’s Day. We went outside and my mood immediately lifted, not just leaving the mess of the house, but the weather was simply wonderful. Sunny and warm, it felt like spring.

Bracken is not a child that says he’s bored very often (though it does happen from time to time), but when he does you can guarantee it’s while we’re inside. When we are outside that word would never cross his mind. He’s always been that way. I love to see what he does as soon as we get outside. He has on old fishing net of Jeff’s that he likes to fill with mud balls, which is very entertaining to watch. Too much water and the dirt flows right through, but if he gets a good clay base and adds just the right amount of water, it stays in the net and he carries it around. He also enjoys mixing dirt, water, and grass in his pots, always a favorite outdoor activity.

Bracken has been checking the progress of the daffodils every single day and giving us updates. Very soon now. We started a fairy garden last year and in the fall I planted some irish moss in a pot to use for it. I’ve waited for the irish moss to spread and cover the entire surface of the pot, but it hasn’t yet. I’m still hopeful.

We harvested our very first chives over the weekend. It’s funny that I love them so much and yet I always forget about them in the garden and forget to use them. This time of year I’ll be better about it because I’m so happy to have something green to harvest out of the garden!

While Bracken played outside, I sat nearby and took pictures of new shawls pins/hairsticks to post in the shop. (I still have more to post.) Then we pulled Jeff away from his work and said “you have to come outside and feel this sunshine! It’s incredible!” We couldn’t resist the urge to ditch our shoes and socks and feel our bare feet in the grass. Isn’t that the best feeling? I brought containers of buttons that Jeff had finished sanding and polishing and marked buttonholes on them while we sat in the sunshine. (We’ve traded with friends at farmer’s market for flats of berries and we keep all the berry containers since they are perfect for transporting our buttons from one stage to another. They get completely covered in wood dust and water, we dry them out and use them again and again.) I wanted to bring all the work outside that I could, to have an excuse to stay out there longer.

Later we got more things tidied up in the house and I felt much better with a little more order around me. And I did apologize for being a grouch earlier. At one point Bracken, knowing mama was stressed, hid around a corner and jumped out with underwear on his head, saying “surprise!” I laughed so hard and he was very proud of himself for that. Then he hid and jumped out at Jeff, again as underwear head, he has a great sense of humor.

Today Jeff sanded wood outside and I took more pictures of new items to post in the shops. I was curious to see what Bracken would do next, always loving what he comes up with when we’re outside. He collected pinecones and then showed us his stash. Later he surprised me with the gift of a fern leaf and then we admired the paper white shoots coming up that Jeff had planted in a pot. Have someone in your life who has been stressed or could use a good laugh? Just put some underwear on your head. It really works, I’d know.